damned_institute | Day 33: Doctor's Office 3 [Dr. Muraki]

The doctor's office? Again? With how unproductive their last meeting had been, Gin would have thought the man might simply decide not to see him anymore. However, this was the same person who could supposedly grant him freedom should he play along with the facade and pretend to be well. It made him wish he'd thought to sneak in one of his knives. Might make the session a little more exciting. Pity he'd be trading those kitchen knives in for a real sword this evening, something large would be a lot more difficult to hide.

Last night certainly hadn't done his ribs any favors. He'd broken at least a few of them in this weak gigai and there were still a few bruises on his arms, all from one little fight. If that item turned out to be useful, he supposed it might be worth it. Maybe he'd get to test it out tonight. Until then, he'd have to put up with all the usual daytime activities. At least he wasn't out with the others. It was probably better to be sitting during this shift anyway, rather than running around outside.

"Mornin' doctor," he smiled as he took a seat in the designated chair. "What's it t'be today?" His demeanor was friendly, even if it was just a game.

Muraki looked up from his reading and smiled, but he didn't close the book. "What do you expect, Mr. Piers? I tell you you're insane, and you pretend to believe it. Or, if you'd prefer, cards seem to be a popular option."

He'd never really been a morning person; too much sun and not enough sleep. But he wasn't feeling grumpy today - simply practical. It wouldn't do to start the morning off with games that were beneath them both.

"Can't really say I know what to expect," he replied. "That's your department, ain't it? Fixin' us up all nice and sendin' us on our way, ne? M' no doctor, so you gotta tell me what you think is gonna fix th' problem. Ain't much for cards, but if y'think it'll help..."

He shrugged his shoulders, sinking more comfortably into his seat. He didn't know much about head doctors, it wasn't exactly something that was stressed in Soul Society, otherwise he doubted if the eleventh division would still exist. Not to mention plenty of other ranked officers that just... weren't all there. No, as long as you got your work done, Soul Society could care less. "Must be nice, bein' able t'sit around an' play cards for a living. How long y'have to go to school for somethin' like that?"

For a moment, the mask slipped into an expression that was more of a grimace than the usual smooth smile, obvious hatred and anger flashing in the doctor's eyes. Despite the persona he projected, the truth was that it was remarkably easy to push Muraki's buttons. And in most cases, it was also remarkably stupid. His smile didn't return, but a different kind of burning cold neutrality did.

Come to think of it, it was awfully reckless to set a spell without having given it a test run in its intended domain. This one was new, after all. Powerful.

"Long enough." He murmured, his voice controlled, his eyes half-lidded like a cat prowling for the kill. He pulled a drawer open and calmly fetched a small vial and a needle, still talking; "But it is nice to see a patient who won't resist treatment."

Gin had spent many years watching people. Their habits, their mannerisms, the way they reacted in different situations. So it was no trick to catch the doctor's momentary slip. There was something very dark lurking in this man's well-kept exterior. It was both interesting and chilling, but Gin was a very curious creature and would forgo the latter for the sake of the former.

Perhaps he'd overstepped his bounds. He couldn't say that it was comforting to watch the doctor pull out the long needle or the vial. Gin was fairly certain he knew where it was going, and with the enemies he had here, being drugged and sluggish was not something he wanted to be should one of them choose to attack. Hell, even someone like Momo could do some serious damage were he incapacitated.

"Ara~" he remarked, forcing himself to sit up a little straighter in his chair. He could resist, but he knew it would end poorly even if he did manage to kill the bastard. They'd still drug him. Talking the man out of it was an option, though it would be difficult to dissuade him. Given the option though, between a slim chance and no chance, he'd take what he could get.

"Y'know, those cards're startin' to sound pretty temptin'," he offered. "Less trouble m'sure."

Muraki saw the way Piers sat straighter, his attention suddenly caught but just a little late in coming. He didn't mistake it for fear. It was much too early for that.

The doctor depressed the plunger, making sure there was no air left in the syringe before standing, walking slowly around the side of his desk with his free hand brushing against the wood. "Actually, this is terribly convenient for me now that you mention it. It was generous of you to volunteer."

He walked right past his lovely patient's chair and around to the back where he paused. "Or, don't you want to get better, Mr. Piers?"

"If that's th' same stuff they've been pokin' everyone else around here with, I ain't so sure it's gonna be helpful," he began. Even if it wasn't the standard stuff they gave rowdy patients, it wasn't likely to be good, not if his observations about Muraki were correct.

Even worse was the feeling as the doctor walked behind him, pausing to speak. He couldn't remember the last time he'd shown his back to an enemy. But that was just what Muraki wanted, wasn't it? He seemed to be quite taken with the idea of putting Gin on edge, from the change in his demeanor to the way he stalked about the room and even how he'd flashed his needle around. Unfortunately for the doctor, Gin was not so easily intimidated.

"Well I s'pose," he told Muraki, taking his time to slowly turn in his seat, twisting his body until he could fold his arms and rest them on the back of the chair. "But I think it'd help if you let me know what y'had in mind. It's my first time bein' crazy n' all so... I ain't exactly sure of the standard procedure, y'know?"

Muraki took a step closer to the chair, placing himself easily within arm's reach of Gin. An overconfident, potentially fatal move. "Of course it's not the same as that. You seem fairly relaxed to me so it wouldn't make sense to use that kind of drug, now would it?"

He held out his hand, palm open. "Unless you would prefer to be sedated for your nerves, let me worry about the standard procedure. Your arm, please."

"I ain't about t'make presumptions on a man who plays cards with crazy people for a livin'," Gin replied, not at all satisfied with the man's answer.

Knowing it wasn't some kind of sedative didn't particularly help. It was still highly unlikely that it would be anything good and now the smug bastard wanted him to offer himself up willingly to take it. Gin had heard enough rumors, but he'd no reason to make this man his enemy just yet.

It was either do it willingly or as Muraki suggested, be sedated for it. Gin decided on the former and held out his left arm, not quite letting it rest in the man's palm.

Muraki smiled, both cruel and amused. "Are you suggesting that I'm a few cards short of a full deck, Gin?"

He gripped Piers' forearm and pressed the needle into his arm, draining and removing it in a single smooth, practiced motion. He hadn't been lying: it wasn't a sedative, and Gin's thoughts should still be perfectly clear. The real surprise would come when he tried to fight back - he would find that he barely had the strength in him to stand.

And by the end of this session, he would be fighting. Muraki didn't release his arm right away.

"Ara, n' now it's Gin again? N'here before you said it was Piers. Y'gonna confuse your patients if you can't even keep 'em straight doc. What's a body s'posed to think, hn?"

He wasn't sure which was worse, the injection itself or the feel of the doctor's hand on his skin. Gin made an attempt to pull his arm out of the man's grasp, but found the doctor was a great deal stronger than he appeared. Muraki was right though, he didn't feel tired in the slightest.

"Mm flattered y'wanna hold my hand n' all," he smirked, "but I really ain't interested. I don't think y'quite my type."

Muraki actually chuckled at that, his fingers ghosting across Gin's arm a bit too long when he released it. "That's a shame. You're not my type either."

Those same fingers trailed up his shoulder, along his jaw. "To tell you the truth, playing this game has lost its pleasure." His smile faded away, his expression caught somewhere between boredom and annoyance. "So tell me, in three words or less, why I should let you keep your tongue. If you go over three words, I'll tear it out."

Simple enough. Those fingers weren't just there to put Gin on edge; they were a distraction while he activated the lightest of his spells.

Whether Gin was his "type" or not, the man was still touching him a lot more than he was comfortable with. Especially when the doctor moved to his face. He made an effort to move away, only to slip back further in his chair. It took him all of half a second to realize just what it was the good doctor had done to him. He hardly had the strength to move. Just wiggling his fingers took far more effort than it ought to.

It wasn't until Muraki started speaking again that he tried to push himself up, away from the mad doctor. He had no doubt the man had every intention of making good on his threat, but Gin wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of showing fear.

He ran his tongue over his teeth, probably the only mocking gesture he could manage at this point, before he answered. "'Cuz I bite," he said simply, smile widening into a predator's grin, despite his situation.

It was ready. Muraki recognised that grin, and he matched it with one of his own. "What a coincidence." He purred, his fingers finally closing sharply on Gin's jaw, forcing it open. "So do I."

He leaned down for what would look like a kiss. Gin would feel it, the moment his teeth found the other man's tongue, and closed, and pulled it free of his throat.

He hadn't expected Muraki to play fair, though, when he tried to keep the man from prying at his jaw, there was nothing he could do to stop it. His shoulders jerked and he managed to bring his right hand up high enough to grab a handful of Muraki's shirt, but that was the limit to his strength.

His grip tightened as pain shot through him, blood spilling out the sides of his mouth. He was too busy trying not to choke on his own blood to let out more than a couple pained gasps.

Over the past week or so, Gin had been content to simply play the games this institution put before him. He could have cared less when they all escaped, or even if the majority even made it out alive. However, now he had a single goal in mind. He wanted nothing more than to kill the man in front of him. Slowly and painfully and as soon as possible.

Muraki leaned back, his prize displayed openly for a moment before he spit it out. It made a wet thunk as it hit the carpet. He touched the corner of Gin's mouth with his thumb, smearing some of the blood. "What a cruel expression. And here I thought I amused you well enough."

Casually, he licked the blood off his thumb. He knew the moment Piers' interest changed to hate, could practically feel the blood lust rolling off the other man. It was different, almost pleasing. He went back to his desk to dispose of the needle and fetch something more interesting.

When he returned to Piers' side, he held a scalpel in one hand. "Shal we keep playing doctor and patient?"

He took the front of Gin's shirt and began slicing through it.

There were several glib remarks or smart answers he might have given Muraki, if he'd still been able to speak. He managed to turn his head aside, the blood that dripped from his mouth stained his teeth red as it trailed down his chin and onto the chair. His only consolation was that there was no way, no possible way this man could cover up a mess like this before the nurses came in to take him to his next shift.

When Muraki moved from his side to fetch his other equipment, Gin tried to push himself out of the chair. His feet and arms refused to obey and he ended up stumbling to the ground, falling hard on his side. When Muraki returned and began cutting at his shirt, revealing the bandages wound around his ribs, Gin let the blood collect in his mouth for a moment before spitting it at the doctor's face. It did lose some of the effect since he was unable to use his tongue, but the blood-stained smirk never left his face.

"Alright, I'll stop distracting you. It seems a bit unfair." The blood and spit hit him clear in the face, mostly coating his hair and seeping through to his eye and cheek. Piers was such a lively one. The doctor laughed and tucked a bit of blood-stained hair behind his ear; his mechanical eye was visible briefly, Piers' blood smeared around it to enhance the disfigurement. It was as if that whole side of his face belonged to a monster. It suited him, just then.

Muraki did so love appearances.

He rolled Piers over onto his back and splayed a hand against his ribs, holding him in place while he moved the shirt away. They were both aware of how easy it would be for him to press down hard enough to crush them.

He didn't though. Not yet. He pressed the scalpel down just above the edge of the bandage, right in the center of Piers' chest and began to cut a shallow, straight line down. It was almost unnaturally easy for the scalpel to cut through both skin and bandage. He would have to fix that before the day was through.

It was frustrating, that being unable to speak made it so much more difficult to get a rise out of someone. His show of defiance went unnoticed as the doctor once again had him at a disadvantage. The pressure against his ribs was enough to make him wary of any sudden movements as Muraki pulled away the remnants of his shirt. He kept his breathing shallow as blood continued to drip from the corner of his mouth.

The doctor's change in appearance was certainly monstrous, but not surprising. Gin's own cold blue eyes visibly watched every move, something that few ever saw behind his fox-like mask. As the scalpel came down, cutting into the exposed flesh, his eyes flickered for only a moment as he set his jaw. Compared to other wounds inflicted by jagged teeth or sword, this was nothing. Muraki had already taken his tongue, he wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of a scream.

He was playing with a predator. Muraki had known this for some time now, and Piers' eyes did nothing but enhance that image. His features softened into the neutral, focused mask of a sergeant at work. He used the center line as a guide and cut horizontally so there were long, neat strips crisscrossing Piers' chest.

The blood that welled up around them should have hidden them from sight, but Muraki's fingers deftly found the edge of the one...and pulled. The scalpel was only used sparingly separate it from the more stubborn layers of muscle and fat beneath.

Gin had no delusions that the man would actually try to fix anything as he watched Muraki cut into his chest. He hated the helplessness most of all. Without even words to fight back, he knew he couldn't win, but his eyes never lost their intensity, watching and waiting for any sign of weakness. He knew all too well that the doctor wouldn't show it, that he was dealing with a very intelligent man, however, if this was just another test in Landel's series of games, he refused to simply roll over and give up.

The pain was incredible and fevered beads of sweat began to prick at his forehead and exposed shoulders. His breath was starting to come faster, partly due to his efforts to move and partly because he could feel his body starting to go into shock. He might be defenseless, but his hands still twitched at his sides, grasping for a sword they would never find. If he didn't do something, he was going to die here, pathetic and struggling to his last breath as this madman tore him apart a piece at a time. Gin's hand rose for a moment, as though to try again to stop the procedure. It likely as not wouldn't work, trying to cast a kidou spell in this weak gigai, but the thought of Muraki slumped over as a shot of lightning coursed through him was too tempting not to at least try.

Some of the other vice captains or seated officers might have had to use words to channel a spell, but he'd been a captain and a master of kidou. These sort of things should have been simple. However, basic training didn't exactly prepare a person for this particular sort of situation. As he made an attempt to release the spell, he could only hope that if it didn't work, the try itself would be enough to help him pass out on his own rather than be forced to endure more pain at the doctor's whim.

The spell did work, at least a little bit. It would be the first surprise of the day and the last one Piers ever got away with. Muraki pulled his hand back, both the scalpel and the skin dropped for a moment while he assessed the fresh burns on his hands.

Nothing serious. Like touching something hot and pulling the hands away just quick enough. It left the skin a bit tender, but he would be fine in under an hour. What he'd discovered...that was the real prize.

The doctor's smirk reappeared. "Hello there, shinigami. You should have done that sooner. I wouldn't have held back."

He picked up the scalpel again, but he used it less and less, taking away more than just pieces of skin when he pulled. By the time he finished what he'd started - just the chest, just as he'd cut it - he was up to his elbows in blood and gore. "You're not allowed to sleep. Not ever..." Oh yes, the doctor was quite mad.

A smirk twitched across his bloodied lips when he saw that the kidou had done its job. It gave him some small amount of pride to think that even handicapped as he was, he could still manage to get under the doctor's skin. Gin's hand fell weakly to the floor, the strength gone out of it. His head was pounding and his eyelids felt heavy, but he was alert enough to realize he'd made a mistake.

Muraki might have believed he was just another patient, but now he had to know otherwise and if the tone of his voice was any indication, the doctor knew just what he was dealing with. The smile was gone now and he winced and choked back screams with each new tear in his flesh. He could feel as much as see the doctor's strokes becoming less and less precise; the pain of it was enough to make his vision start to blur. Or was that from the kidou? He wasn't sure anymore.

The doctor laughed. There. Realization. He found those delicate ribs and began to push down-

Knock knock.

Everything disappeared. The blood, the skin, the laughter... Over the course of the torture, even the drug had worn off enough for it to look more like a mild sedative than what it really was. A spell that took all morning to construct was broken in a matter of seconds.

Muraki stood and crossed the room to his door. Once it was open, he left the nurses to deal with Piers, but not before dropping off a quick explanation. "We had a particularly trying session. Try to be gentle with him. His skin isn't as thick as it seems sometimes."

Not good. Kairi couldn’t help but feel a wave of worry pass over her as she was led to Muraki’s room, her heart thumping in her chest as she calmly knocked on the door.

Maybe the doctor wasn’t in. maybe he was.

The once princess put on a happy face before slowly opening the door, her head peeking in through the crack as she looked around for the man whom she was supposed to be visiting with for the next lord knew how long. “Dr. Muraki?”

Well, his peace hadn't lasted very long after the first interruption. The doctor looked up from his reading and offered the girl an almost weary smile. "You can come inside you know. I'm not going to eat you."

He even gestured at the empty chair across from his own. Really, being eaten should be the least of her worries. At his age he had to watch his diet.

Wouldn’t eat her. Kairi faked a laugh at that, entering the room and shutting the door behind her before moving towards one of the chairs that the doctor gestured to. “Of course. Silly me.”

Sitting down, the copper headed girl ran a hand through her choppy bangs once before settling her hands in her lap once and for all. “It seems like such a long time since we’ve last spoken. How strange. I do hope you’ve been doing well?”

She didn't forget what she had read on the bulletin. Be careful, Kairi, she warned herself, her smile never faltering, This one's trouble.

She was nervous. He'd been perfectly polite their last session, even if it wasn't a very memorable one. Muraki studied the girl, his expression neutral once more. There were a few reasons for her to be nervous, all of them good.

"Reasonably so, yes. And you?"

Kairi smiled towards the man once more, her legs crossing in front of her as she sighed. “Well enough. I slept all through last night for once, so that was good. I’m all rested up for our meeting today!”

Though, it was mildly awkward. Why was she even there? She wanted to ask about the other patients – but she knew better than to simply just give names away. Perhaps they’d talk about something else. As long as the topic stayed light, she would be able to maintain her cheerful mood.

"That's good to hear. I've been told often that the nights here are.." The doctor paused, as if searching for words. "Extremely unpleasant at times."

"Other than that, are you having any difficulty adjusting to life here?"

Extremely unpleasant at times. Kairi had to smile at that, albeit it was a wicked smile. “Hmm, I suppose that’s true.”

Adjusting to life? The once princess tilted her head to the side as if in thought before answering. “… Yes, I suppose. Once you get used to the schedule the days just seem to pass on by. Nights tend to drag, but … I suppose that’s all right. I enjoy the peace and quiet. It gives me time to think.”

A pause, and Kairi looked up to her doctor. “What do you do at night?”

"Pray on innocent young souls who stray too far from home." Muraki replied simply, his smile cheerful and perfectly innocent. "In other words, nothing exciting."

Day 33: Doctor's Office 3 [Dr. Muraki]

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